fingering

[David Raleigh Arnold]

I just wanted to show what it took to get decent fingering on an
introductory grade simple little exercise in two parts.  There is
a problem getting the first 1-- close to the notehead.  The output
is at http://www.openguitar.com/html/files/cma0.pdf .

Finger numbers should be close to the notehead.  There is no rule
nor any hint of an indication that fingering should not be on the
staff lines.  Except for the added dashes, this resembles the
original very well.  The plate was made in 1853, and it was a
new edition of an original published in 1838.  The fifth
measure represents the ideal appearance very well.

Fingering is supposed to be close to the note.  It doesn't matter
in the slightest whether that puts it on staff lines.  Usually
the staff line passes through the number near its center, but
there is no rule, and slightly off center is best, so a 3
doesn't look like an 8.  Finger letters were often on staff lines also,
although not as much as numbers.

Fingering was near the note, preferably the note head, because
that made it easier to read.  Nothing has changed.  It's still
the best way.

Somehow it never gets easier to get the numbers on staff lines,
unless they precede the note of course.  This would be very
discouraging if I couldn't put a dozen pieces in the same file
and reuse all the definitions that way.  daveA

\version "2.2.6"
\include "english.ly"
\paper { papersize = "letter" }
#(set-global-staff-size 20)
sig = \override Staff.TimeSignature   #'style = #'()
mrgd = \override Staff.NoteCollision   #'merge-differently-dotted = ##t
mrgdr = \revert Staff.NoteCollision #'merge-differently-dotted
mrgh = \override Staff.NoteCollision   #'merge-differently-headed = ##t
mrghr = \revert Staff.NoteCollision #'merge-differently-headed

%#(set-accidental-style 'voice)
% @s is force-hshift in sly, to revert: \\sr
%sr = \revert NoteColumn #'force-hshift % revert force right
ld = \stemDown
lu = \stemUp
ft = \markup{"t"}
fi = \markup{"i"}
fm = \markup{"m"}
fa = \markup{"a"}
x = \markup {\number \finger "1"}
xx = \markup {\number \finger "2"}
xxx = \markup {\number \finger "3"}
xxxx  = \markup {\number \finger "4"}
dashone = \markup {\number \finger "--1"}
onedash = \markup {\number \finger "1--"}
dashtwo = \markup {\number \finger "--2"}
twodash = \markup {\number \finger "2--"}
dashtre = \markup {\number \finger "--3"}
tredash = \markup {\number \finger "3--"}
dashfour = \markup {\number \finger "--4"}
fourdash = \markup {\number \finger "4--"}
mlu = { \once \override DynamicText
         #'extra-offset = #'(-3.0 . 2.5) }
mmu = { \once \override TextScript
         #'extra-offset = #'(0.0 . 1.0) }
mmuu = { \once \override TextScript
         #'extra-offset = #'(0.0 . 2.0) }
mmuuu = { \once \override TextScript
         #'extra-offset = #'(0.0 . 3.0) }
mmuuuu = { \once \override TextScript
         #'extra-offset = #'(0.0 . 4.0) }

glob = \notes {
\key c \major \time 4/4
}

toppart = \notes {
 c8_3^\ft  g^\fi c'_\onedash^\fm e'^\fa  e8_2  g c' e'
 a,  \mmu a_\twodash c' e'  c  a \mmuu c'_\dashone e'
 d  a  \mmuu d'_\fourdash  \mmuuu f'_\onedash f_3  \mmu a_\dashtwo d' f'
 g,  g b f'  b,  g b  \mmuuu f'_\dashone
 c  g c' e'  a,  \mmu a_\x  \mmuu cs'_\xx \mmuuuu g'_\xxxx
 d  a d' f'  f  a d' f'
 g,  g c' e'  g,  g b f'
< g c' e' >2 s2 \bar "|."
}

botpart = \notes { \mrgh
\override NoteColumn #'force-hshift = #-0.05 % 8th vs. half
\mlu  c2_\f e2
a, c
d f
g, b,
c a,
d f
g, g,
 c2  b2\rest

\bar "|." }

\score {
  \context Staff <<
  \set Staff.instrument = #"\\Large{1.}"
  #(set-accidental-style 'voice)
  \clef "G_8" \sig 
  \glob 
    \new Voice { \voiceOne \toppart }
    \new Voice { \voiceTwo \botpart }
  >>
 \paper {  linewidth = 7.25 \in
   indent = 0.25 \in
   interscoreline = -3
  }
 \midi  { \tempo 4=94 }
}